Today's post is about my readers. That means you! I would love to know who you are, where you are, where you'd rather be, what you like, what you don't like, or anything else you want to tell me -- especially if you've never commented before! No worries if you've never read my books. Use your real name or a secret code name, whatever you like. No pressure, of course -- no one has to respond. But please do feel free to say hi today. (Even if you've done so before!)

A friendly reminder to anyone reading this post on LiveJournal, Amazon, or anywhere other than my blogspot that I won't see your comments unless you come to my Blog Actual to post them.

And a reminder that the Summer Blog Blast Tour is taking place this week. Check out the schedule here. I'll be interviewed on Friday at Hip Writer Mama, and rumor is, she'll be doing a Graceling giveaway.

Okay, let's get started! I'll go first. I'm Kristin. I'm a writer living in North Florida. I love to put dried cherries, almonds, honey, and soy milk in my oatmeal. I think leaf blowers are a terrible invention. And I think Charlotte's Web is the most perfect book ever written.

151 comments:

Hi. :) I'm Renay. I live in Arkansas with a boy and three cats, read a lot of YA and I used to publish a lot of fanfiction before I got a job in retail. I want to write GLBTQ YA someday soon but have grown pretty neurotic about writing (I am learning to let myself suck again, but slowly). I am hoping to become a YA librarian in the future. :D

Some things I love: hilarious icons, strong female characters, m/m romance, and books that make me think really hard or challenge me to consider different perspectives.

I just added your journal to my reader today, so this post was very timely. :) It's nice to meet you!

Hi, I'm Ben. I live in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. I found your blog about a week ago after reading your book over the weekend. I got the book on impulse to use up a gift card and it sat forgotten on my shelf for a few months. I enjoyed it, so was interested to know more about you and any possible sequels.

Hi :)I'm Jayden, from Germany (Bavaria if you want to be specific). I've seen your book Graceling on the David Gemmell Legends Award and am following your blog for a while now. Evil lurker I am ;)

I enjoy reading, stitching (I'm not yet 30, so I'm told I'm strange in that regard :P ), Cooking and lots of internet surfing all day.

I want to take the opportunity of actually leaving a comment here to tell you I really like your blog and am looking forward to your next books. Keep up the good work, and thank you for entertaining us with your regularily updated blog, the work you put in here is appreciated :)

Hi Kristin! I'm Emma, from Australia. Stumbled across your blog when I was doing some research on Graceling for class (in the 'doing it right' section of my talk on female protagonists). I'm studying literature and writing, spend way too much time online, and want to be a rocketship pilot when I grow up.

Hola, my name is Kat, and I usually spell my name with an @ sigh, a la K@. I am not clever enough to think of that by myself, it came up from a math teacher in High School during an @ drawing contest (which I won).

I live on a tiny island in the island country of Japan where I teach Middle Schoolers English. Whether they remember it is up to them. I read about a book a week (sometimes more) and spend a lot of time at the beach. I've been a lurker for about a month since I read Graceling and lurved it. And I just ate a whole bunch of jelly beans.

Hi! I'm Artemis Grey, A. Grey to be more serious and less dramatic. It's a pen name, but at the same time, a real name, the name of that part of me comfortable putting it all 'out there'. Or more comfortable anyway...

I live in central VA, land of rich horse people and twenty something millionaires with beautiful wives and 2.5 children. Occasionally, it feels a little like being a witch in Salem during the late 1600's, but there are wonderful people too...

I love strong women, good books, walking around with paint in my hair and dirty feet from being barefoot, animals, old people with stories about 'back then' and authors who remember what it's like to be unpublished and floating in the ether of 'some day, I WILL succeed'...

Things I strongly dislike: People with tiny minds and no flexibility, people who trash-talk things like 80's ballads, old school D&D, and the original Star Trek, men who don't recognize that women can - and will - kick their asses, and people who don't respect life...

I'm Q. I'm everyone's favorite seventeenth letter of the alphabet. I love strawberries in my Life cereal, waffles with chocolate chips and peanut butter, and watching hummingbirds chase each other around over feeder territory. I love birdsong and crisp air in the morning. I don't like heat in the summer. I love to read, write, and blog. They don't write songs too high for me to sing, though it will sound better or worse depending on the day.

Hi! My name is Anna. I'm unemployed (sigh) in New Hampshire (though I'm from the Midwest and I miss the Midwest) but I am a jeweler and I would like to start making and selling jewelry again. I love reading (Sunshine by Robin McKinley is currently my favorite book) and board games (Carcassonne and Race for the Galaxy are two favorite games) and frozen blueberries on grape nuts or cheerios. I have a big black cat named Asimov, a name that only one out of three people I tell it to understands.

I think home entertainment systems loud enough to pester the neighbors were a terrible invention.

Hi, I'm Ashley I living in, Canada more specific I'm in the province of Ontario. I'm an aspiring teenage writer with a goal to be published before I turn twenty (lets see if it happens, I've got a few years still :))I've posted here before with my questions and I've been enjoying reading the blog for a few months now.

I read urban fantasy, fantasy, YA books. I like books that have some romance in them and strong characters (which if I might say Graceling certainly has. I like books that pull me right in without me having to try to hard to get into a book.

I dislike a lot of things, one being books that I cant get into, thunder(there's a story behind that one), and close minded people who cant accept people as they are(gay, straight, thin, big doesn't matter)

I've been writing since I was about...three or four (although at that age it didn't always make sense because well I was still learning my words) the more serious writing began when I was about ten that's when I finished writing my first story and after that I was so thrilled that I had written something that long and worked on it really hard and finished it that I went on to write two more full stories( one a sequel, one a stand alone)within the next year. And since then I have not stopped I have two large bookshelves in my room one is completely writing related the other holds all my novels.

I never go anywhere without a pen and paper, its like against the law for me. :)

I haven't read your book yet, but your writing here is lovely and it's on my list of things to check out from the library (hopefully they have it). I love reading anything and everything, YA included, and am not ashamed of it.

I was a Lit major in college. I'm going back to business school this fall, and am trying to get in as much free reading as possible before I get attacked by my textbooks. I love cloudy days, tulips, red wine, and pretending to cook.

Hello again! My name is Amanda and I currently live in England but am moving to the Bay Area in a couple of months (criminy jehosophat!) and while I enjoy blogging I don't do nearly enough of it. I also enjoy spending time with my cat, reading loads and loads of books and being a gigantic food-nerd. I also quite like board games and avoid video games as I know they will take over my life.

Big, BIG fan of Graceling, so much so that even though I read the copy from the library I plan on buying a copy once I'm in the US. THAT is love right there. :)

Hi-I connect to your blog, Kristin, and to the community here because young adult fantasy books affect me so deeply - the characters live with me forever, and the worlds they inhabit become vacation spots in my mind that somehow make the regular world richer. Graceling is certainly one of those books, so thank you.

I've never commented before, but I follow your blog and feel (weirdly) that I'm reading letters from a friend.

Right now I'm purely an appreciator and not a creator of books, but I dream of being able to make that leap.

Hi Kristin, I'm Emily from Minneapolis (originally Illinois). I've been lurking here awhile—can't remember how I found the blog in the first place, but I'm sure I looked for you because I enjoyed Graceling so much! Now I like reading your blog for its own sake.

I picked up Graceling partly because I gravitate toward fantasy YA anyway, but I also went to Williams and was intrigued when I noticed the author did also. I'm working on a PhD in history, interested in childhood and children's literature in nineteenth-century Germany and France. I'm glad to blog-meet you!

I'm Jazz Sexton. I'm living in western PA, but I'd rather be in Miami or Japan. I would also like it to be October so I can attend Sirens (if I ever find a way from Denver to Vail that won't come to 400 bucks.)

Hi, I'm Melina, living in Ontario, Canada. I love reading, mostly anything related to fantasy. I'm an aspiring writer, who tries to write everyday and believe that I will get published someday. I plan to go to university to study English & professional writing in about a year and a half.

I love sunshine. I love mountains. One day I hope to live in the country, around forests, around mountains. I want to have a motorcycle one day, though I know it's dangerous. I love the wind, and love running through rain.

My name is Lissa, I live in Essex in England (it rains here. A lot.)Thank you for distracting me from revision! I've got three exams this week - not fun =[

All I really want to talk about are my friends. They are genuinely the nicest girls in the whole wide world. I'm not going to put their names down, probably because (despite the niceness) they would hit me over the head with a blunt object. Collectively, we are the Usual Suspects - we've even got t-shirts =]

I wanted to mention them because of their optimism. I've known three of them for twelve years and one of them for five, and they always know what to say and when to say it.

So, where I am:On the computer in my house surrounded my DC and Marvel figurines (my Dad collects them. I kind of think they're cool.)

Where I'd rather be:At the farm near my house with my friends, mucking around and one of us inevitably falling over/being thrown into the pond/complaining of extreme hunger (the latter is normally applicable to me)

What I don't like:The prospect that one of my friends may be switching schools for sixth form ='[

We're all going to miss her if she goes. It's the best thing for her, she's a damn genius, but it'll be weird without her. She's the one I discuss books with, translate songs into French with and generally do the most pointless things with!

So I have made her a little promise. Last Friday, I was round her house with another one of the US eating Chinese (the chicken chow mein was present!) and we just got talking about books. Because of the exams, my parents have banned me from reading (I read books instead of revising and spent the majority of my paycheque buying more) and due to my withdrawel symptons I started getting ideas for my own book. They bugged me until I told them the storyline, and they seemed to like it. I have my doubts, but they're too sweet to have any criticisms.

Anyway, the friend who might be leaving asked for a cameo role in the book, if I ever get time to write it. The problem I'm having is how on earth can I put into words how spectacular she is?

So that's my challenge for the summer. Write the book and try to capture how much I love the Usual Suspects and how they have made my life as fantastic as it is =]

Bit of a long one, but never mind =]

Lissa

p.s. I don't like having to wait for Fire and Bitterblue! I reread Graceling the other day (I hid it in my pillow so my parents couldn't catch me reading) and I want more dammit! =]

Love to do lots of writing and reading. My house is a Zoo, with dogs cats birds hamsters (the list goes on)

I'm a total movie freak and would gladly spend all day rotting infront of a tv with apple chips and sparkling water.I have a little sister who drives me nuts and two great parents who support every breath i take.

During the summers i work on full length feeature films as a grip.

Currently I'm sitting on a "finished" novel, but I just cant get the guts to let it go :D(not to mention the know how)

Hi, I'm Linden. I read Graceling about a month ago after it was recommended by a couple of friends. I also went to Williams (Class of '98) so I was especially interested in the book. I live in Portland Oregon and just added your blog to my reader about a week ago.

Hi, I'm Laurel, and I live in Southern California. I'm a reference librarian, and I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Fire back in January (the publicist on duty at the booth was so pleased to have people asking about your books!). I've been enjoying your blog.

Hello from Adena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I read Graceling a few months ago at just the right time because I had just finished a really disappointing series whose female protag was a complete wimp and was feeling down about female charachters in fantasy. But along came Kasta to the rescue showing that there ARE awesome teenage girls in fantasy. Hooray!!!

Graceling was probably the last YA book I wll read in which the main charachter is older/the same age as me since I'm graduating high school in a few weeks. (Don't worry, I'm not planning to stop reading YA, the genre is just too awesome.) Next year I will be studying in Israel and after that college somewhere.

Hi! I'm Natasha. I live in Denmark and read "Graceling" a week or two ago. In English, of course.

I'd rather be in Australia. Love that country.

I like the smell of freshly fallen rain; showers; my best friend (I'd even go so far and say that I love him); that finals are over in a month, funny icons, BOOKS!!! .. music, movies. Yah. Too much to actually put down on paper.

I don't like getting wet in the rain; being shut out; being sick; uh. Yeah. Guess that's it. Have a nice day!

I'm Katie and I'm in Fort Wayne, IN. I'm a book buyer for an independent bookstore (both general adult and children's). I love your books (Graceling is terrific and Fire is exceptional!) and recommend them as often as I can (well, I can rec. Fire as soon as it comes out!). I love my job and have read more amazing books than I can remember, let alone talk about coherently, because of it. Some of the best that I have read recently are:

Hi Kristin. I'm Stephanie and I live in central Maine. I have a supertotallyawesome husband and a completely wonderful 11 year old son. I loved Graceling and also I love a whole lot of YA fiction. Right now I'm trying to read Dune, but we'll see how that goes. I've tried before without success. Also, I make quilts, but I make my money by being a secretary. I want a front-of-the-house garden, but I'm way too gardening-lazy to make one. Hmm, that's it for now!

Let's see...My name is Alissa. I live in Asheville and grew up in Charleston, SC. I am married to Tink, Nov is 7 years! I am 29 and refuse to accept that I have an upcoming birthday in Sept. I guess you can say I am pretty picky. I probably can name things I dislike easier than the things I like. I am not at all outgoing in the social sense. Maybe I am just too shy or maybe I am just really picky about the people I choose as my friends. I think I intimidate people just by looking at them sometimes, but dont intend to. I blame my eyebrows.Things I like:anything Tim Burton creates, art, drawing (mostly graphite and colored pencil...painting is impossibly hard for me), photography, skateboarding, blogging, organization, tranquil silence, the Pacific NW, animals, the way fresh cut grass smells (especially in the mountians after a light rain), Rockband (I am not ashamed to rock out to 80's tunes), mushrooms, peanut butter buttercream, iTunes, reading (sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, YA) and writing (YA fiction, YA urban fantasy).Things I dont like:people talking or tv noise when I am trying to read or write, touching raw meat (especially chicken, it just bugs me), people who dont turn lights out when they leave rooms or turn faucets off all the way or leave drawers half open (that would mainly be the ladies I work with, ugh!! Is it really that hard?), music snobs, when the toilet paper is on the holder backwards, being told what to do or having to answer why I am doing something (a good reason I should be self employed).I'd rather be:a full time published writerowner of an animal sanctuary (almost went to school to be a vet)traveling (mostly Europe)Other tidbits:I am extremely forgetful, so if it's not written down somewhere or on my calendar, I probably forgot. I am almost always 5-10min late for just about everything, no matter how hard I try to not be.I just joined the gym to get in super-hot shape for my not-upcoming bday.I love Graceling and just loaned it to yet another friend who lives in Boston!

I live in Utah with three boys (hubby and kiddos). Rain makes me giddy (sight, smell, and especially the sound). I read anything I hear is good, regardless of genre, and 80% of the time that ends up being YA fiction. Your book (which I adore) was a recommendation from my local indie bookstore--hooray for indie! I'm 275 pages (75,000 words) into my second full manuscript, about which I hope to start querying agents this summer. And I teach composition at our community college two evenings a week and LOVE it.

My name is Sarah and I'm a Children's and Youth Services Librarian in Iowa. Graceling has been my favorite read for the year and I received an Unedited Advanced Reader copy of Fire in a contest and I love it to bits. Now, I'm scared for the actual book to come out, because I'm afraid something will be cut and it was perfect the way it was!

Hi! I'm Antonio and a live in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. I'm so far from you o_o, but, oh well, who matters?

So, I hadn't read your book yet but it's in my books-to-read-shelf. It'll be in my hands soon! You have to know that the cover is wonderful! I like it so much.

Do you really want to know what're the things I like? I'll never finish then...Ok, let's try to write the most important: Obviously, I like to read, A LOT, most of it are Fantasy books, and specificaly, Epic or Gothic Fantasy (Poe, Lovecraft, R.R. Martin...etc), also I like manga, the japanese style of drawing, I hope you know what am I talking about. You can call me freak, with proud. I like music, but I'm very strange for the music (metal, gothic, alternative rock, jazz, clasical...)Ha.Ha.Ha. Strange. Aaaand, I draw, I write...I wanna become a writer/illustrater.

And that's all (I think). Hope everything in my English Grammar is okay and you understand me alright. If something's wrong just let me know. I LOVE to learn languages, but sometimes I failed in them.

Hi. I'm Jennifer and I live in Dallas, TX. I'm a librarian for a Pre-K through 8th grade private school and I (obviously) love to read. I also love my two daughters, my dogs, chile rellenos from Matt's Rancho Martinez in Dallas, margaritas, so-bad-they're-good movies, spring in Texas and Graceling. My husband is going to BEA at the end of the month and I've BEGGED him to do whatever it takes to get a hold of an ARC of Fire. I hope I don't get him arrested.

Lovely to meet you, Kristin. If you're ever in Dallas, I'd love to treat you to some wonderful TexMex. :)

I'm Becca. I'm technically from New Jersey but go to Bryn Mawr College. A friend ordered me to read Graceling, and I finally did about a month ago. I'm in love with math, dance, music of most sorts, knitting, and reading children's and YA fantasy/scifi. If I can pull it off, I want to be a math professor someday.

I try not to lurk, but half the time I don't have the energy to post (I should stop checking RSS feeds before a 9am class.). I enjoy reading this blog.

Hi, I'm Robin. I'm 33 and I live in Columbus, Ohio with my husband, my two small children, my dog, my cats, and my burning obsession with YA fantasy novels.

I call myself a writer, and in all actuality that is true, though the past 9 years of my life have been spent writing for nonprofits while trying to raise money! My husband graciously supported me as I worked to write my first novel this past fall, and as yet, I have only sent 6 queries, from which I have been rejected twice and ignored four times.

I have a huge crush on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Shirley Manson from Garbage, Keanu Reeves, and Daniel Radcliffe. I often develop character crushes. I like pop-punk music and wish I was able to draw. I'm addicted to coffee and am thinking about training for a 1/2 marathon, which would be quite a feat since I probably can't run a mile right now without the need for emergency medical care.

That is nowhere close to a full representation of "me," but it's enough. Thanks for Graceling; it was wonderful.

I'm Amy, a mom of three, GSLIS student (Simmons) and repentant lawyer. I too dislike leaf blowers and make my neighbors laugh (or cringe) with my old-fashioned push mower. I'd like to be a YA librarian some day . . .

I loved Graceling and signed up for your blog the day I finished it (last fall). My secret code name should be Shameless because I pestered my favorite children's bookshop until they lent me their ARC of Fire (I loved that too and cannot wait to buy my own copy). I'm looking forward to the crimes and misdemeanors institute in July . . .

Hello! My name is Minde. I live in the southern US of A. I'm a 35 year old stay at home mom and certified bookaholic. My son and I read his very first chapter book aloud this past week: The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It's as wonderful as I remember and I was delighted to share it with him.

My daughter's name is Aerin; while I explain to people that it's "the Welsh spelling" and my family *is* from Wales back down the tree, I really named her for Aerin from McKinley's Hero and the Crown...mostly because I didn't think she'd appreciate being "Harry."

I love to cook and bake and try new recipes which is a terrible hobby to have when one is trying to lose weight. I also live journal (personal stuff) and blog (book reviews) in between taking care of my munchkins. It's a good life.

Hi - I'm Carrie K. I live in Colville, WA - a small town north of Spokane and south of the Canadian border. I'm married with four kids, whom I homeschool.

I love books that make you sigh when you turn the last page, watching my kids get wrapped up in reading (The Warriors series is a current reading craze in our house), and I love it when my 12-year-old daughter says, "Mom! You have to read this!" Our roles were recently reversed when I finished Graceling and told her she must read it.

A week or so ago, I had finished Hunger Games and was complaining on Twitter that no book was holding my attention. I hate the reading slumps that happen after a particularly amazing book. Anyway, someone on Twitter suggested Graceling, so I clicked over to our library's web site and put it on hold. I finished it earlier this week and reviewed it on my blog - I absolutely loved it. I found your blog after I finished the book.

Greetings. My name is Melissa. I live in Farmerville, Louisiana with my husband, three-month-old baby boy and rat terrier. My husband and I both read your book, and loved it! I am a summa cum laude college graduate that has chosen to stay home with her son, and teach piano and voice lessons (for now). Like you, I love music. My favorite selections are operatic arias, mainly because I'm a singer myself. I loved your post about intertextuality, and how music seems to work the same way. I am very much looking forward to reading Fire and Bitterblue. Thank you for taking your time on your work, and allowing your characters to tell the "true" story.

I'm supposed to be writing, but instead, I came online to see if anyone left any comments. How I wish I could respond to everyone and thank everyone individually! Your comments are so awesome, they're making me laugh and tearing me up (tear to rhyme with beer, not bear), and I just have to say thank you. It's particularly exciting to hear from people all over the world. Thank you to non-native English speakers for writing such beautiful English. Hi to Williams people, librarians, indie booksellers, mothers, writers, book lovers -- and good luck to all you students who are in finals!

I know who Asimov is (and Aerin ^_^)! Sarah, don't worry, I'm sure we didn't change anything major after that version, only small, cosmetic, "this line could be clearer" sorts of things... at the most, we did some slight rearranging. And to explain the covers, this one is the U.K. cover for FIRE, coming out from Gollancz in Fall 2009. I use all my covers as icons, foreign and domestic, depending on how I feel. I should maybe set up a page of all my covers that people can click to. I'll put that on the list for the future!

For the writers among you, I'm hoping to talk a little on Thursday about how I started writing and how I got published. No promises, but that's what I hope to post about.

grrrrr. i like being my depending on the day self. grrrrrr. but ill tell.

my name is madi. i live in the southwest corner of michigan. im in school. id rather be in cali. lykkeli is the best artist ever, and i thought she was cool before anyone else. im obsessed with wings, expolsions, books, and mythbusters (because of explosions). and im a chick drummer (tweet tweet).

I'm Memory, and I live about as close to the geographical centre of North America as you can get. (That's Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). I think karaoke is one of life's great joys, I could live off of sushi, and I believe I'd go mad if I didn't have easy access to a word processor. I discovered GRACELING when the publisher sent me a review copy, and I'm now eagerly awaiting FIRE.

Hi Kristin, I'm Linda. I read and loved Graceling and that's how I found your blog. I'm a librarian in another life but at the moment I'm a stay-at-home-mom to my two wee girlies. I love author blogs. I also hate leaf blowers, but unfortunately I'm not a big fan of raking, either. In San Diego that wasn't a huge deal (palm trees...) but here in New England it's a bit lazy of me.

I'm very much looking forward to more books from you, and I wish you the best of luck with your career. I've recommended Graceling to lots of people and they've all liked it, too.

Better go get my baby girl, who is making the most adorable high pitched screams that have ever broken glass. Good thing I don't have to hear your blog.

I'm Lisa, from Canada. I have two beautiful children - a boy and a girl. I also work full time in a very busy job. Reading is my escape. I read lots of everything - but particularly love Fantasy books. I find that when life gets overwhelming (rather a lot these days) YA is pretty much the perfect antidote. I loved Graceling - thank-you for that and also for the fact that I discovered Catherine Gilbert Murdock thanks to you. Please keep the suggestions coming!

I think one of the best things in the world is discovering a new author that you love but had never heard of before. This is even better if that author has written a lot of books that you have not yet read! When my daughter was born I discovered David Gemell. Up here in Canada we are fortunate enough to have one year of maternity leave and while my daughter nursed I happily read my way through every book he ever wrote - perfection!

Hi Kristin, I'm Melissa. I'm from (currently) Wichita, Kansas. I like puttering around in my garden, watching movies with dark-haired British actors in them, and (of course) reading and blogging. I spend much of my time managing my four girls (the oldest of which absolutely adored Graceling), and squeeze everything else in the cracks.

I'm Tashina Falene (Tashi for short) and I'm 17. I live in Northern Virginia and want to be YA fantasy writer myself very soon. I also run a small jewelry business online.

Things I love: reading, writing, rainy days in the spring, cooking complicated meals,Things I hate: people who think texting is writing(long story behind that), the impulse to have everything neat and tidy in the house...its a lost cause!

I've read your book and absolutely fall in love with it all over again everytime I read it, which has been quite a bit ever since my mom gave it to me earlier this year. I'm anxiously awaiting Fire and Bitterblue. :) I found your blog months ago and have loved reading every entry, but this is the first time I've commented. It won't be the last time, I swear. :)

I also wanted to say thank you because while reading your blog entries and your book, you have been a huge inspiration for me in writing and also everyday life. :)

Hi -- I'm Adrienne, a librarian in Virginia with two evil cats (they shed with malicious purpose, really). I'm eagerly awaiting the paperback of Graceling so I can have more copies to press into the hands of my teens. I just finished the ARC for Fire and liked it tremendously. Please keep doing what you do so well! I want to know more about Bitterblue.

Things I love, rainy days spent curled up with a book, movies that go boom, beehives and bat boxes, tiramisu, the light before dawn, and that perfect physical exhaustion that comes from playing in the waves for hours.

I'm Jen. I live in Richmond, VA with my husband, 4-yr old step-daughter, and the best dog ever (her name is Lyra). I loved Graceling and am such a big fan of this blog - it brightens my day and makes me laugh. You have a wonderful gift!

I am a 28-yr old project management/IT consultant who loves reading - especially Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and YA novels. I'm a marathon runner who considers a 16-mile run to be a perfect way to start a Saturday - especially if it's followed by coffee. Or ice cream. Or both. :)

Keep up the great work and if you can, please post some more reading suggestions! :) I love hearing your thoughts on works by others, and I am also at a loss after reading both Graceling and Hunger Games forever ago. I need new suggestions! :)

Hi, my name is Laurence (pronounced Lo-rance to rhyme with France). So, yes, I am French, but live on the North Shore of Boston in a beautiful little town by the sea.

I just finished writing my first YA fantasy novel and am now submitting it to agents. My fingers are crossed and double crossed.

When I'm not writing I teach Yoga and French.

I am a huge fan of Graceling (read it twice back to back), and I cannot wait for Fire to come out. I love your blog and Mondays and Thursdays have become my favorite days of the week. Thank you for sharing so much with us, Kristin!

Hello!I'm Sibylle, I turned 21 last Thursday and I live in Paris, France. I'm currently completing my Masters in English Literature about Humour in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. I believe in the power of art to change lives. Books, movies and music change mine daily.My goal in life is to become something between Lorelai Gilmore and Hermione Granger and tour with the Puppini Sisters. I love to read good books (favourite authors: the unsentimental Jane Austen, Angela Carter, Miles Franklin, Neil Gaiman, Alan Hollinghurst, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Rosamond Lehmann, Toni Morrison, Terry Pratchett, Marcel Proust, Philip Pullman, J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter is my favourite book), William Shakespeare, Dodie Smith, Noel Streatfeild, Sarah Waters, Virginia Woolf) , listen to good music (jazz, vocal jazz, blues, swing, early pop (60s) rock'n'roll, rockabilly, doo-wop, folk, some rock as well (Muse, Raveonettes, Rolling Stones, early Beatles) and world music, whatever that means (Cesaria Evora, Loreena McKennitt), watch good movies (William Powell, Myrna Loy, Barbara Stanwyck, pre-code movies, Ernst Lubitsch, Frank Borzage, Sofia Coppola, Pedro Almodovar, Joe Wright), watch good TV shows (Gilmore Girls, The West Wing, Once and Again, Queer as Folk, My So-Called Life, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Deadwood) and eat good food. I'm a happy person in general who adores humour and witty repartee perhaps more than anything in the world. I believe in the power of laughter and I'm also a great believer in Gandhi's saying "Be the change you would like for the world".I want a world where state recognition for people's love isn't something couples obsess about (that reminds me of your heroine!), where feminism isn't pushed back to the corner because we still have to fight for stewardesses to be allowed to wear trousers if they wish, where bicentrism (as opposed to heterocentricism) is the norm (which would mean that everybody is "normal", how cool is that), where agnosticism gets more recognition and, really, a world where snappy comebacks save us all from eternal boredom.

I have a journal I don't talk about much because I see it as quite private. It's so me that I don't even feel comfortable enough to allow comments. Anyway, I talk about anything that catches my eye. http://heroineintraining.blogspot.com/

Hello Kristin! My name is Natasha (no secret code name necessary) and I am a proud Iowan. I'm recently turned 37, have a 2 1/2 year old lightofmylife/son, Henry, a hunka hunka husband, Matthew, a skinny whippet, Quinn, and a semi-crotchety cat, Charlie. I'm a Realtor by day (actually, night too - it's one of those jobs that knows very few boundaries), and mom/wife/moviewatcher/reader/needlepointer/trying-to-be-a-gardener/baker/cook/entertainer/winedrinker/traveler/andafewmorethings by night and weekends. (Not necessarily in that order, mind you.)

Wow, the Virginians are coming out in force! I (Meredith) live in Southern Virginia, where I work as a librarian. But I'd rather be home in Utah, where my most favorite twin sister ever is having a baby soon. Sigh. I need more vacation days.

I love cemeteries, pie, reading, babies, mountains, and television, not necessarily in that order. I hate many things, including humidity, mosquitoes, celery, and fake people. I don't mean robots or holograms. Those are awesome. I mean people who are not genuine.

What do I like? Knowing that no matter how long I live, I'll never solve all the mysteries of the universe. Love that!

my baby girl, who is making the most adorable high pitched screams that have ever broken glass. Cracked up about that! Linda, I'm soon to be the auntie of twin girls, and I'll have to pass that line on to my sister...

I'm loving the comments today. Hi to evil cats, marathoners, people near Scranton (I grew up in the middle of nowhere near Scranton), readers, writers, business people, everyone!

We're having cool, rainy weather today, which is a treat in May in Florida. I just went for a beautiful walk in the rain to the library. On the way home, I saw two kittens on a porch. They peered at me suspiciously, looking like they didn't know whether to run away or bounce around putting on a show of cuteness. They had enormous ears. Marvelous.

I was carrying my "Toronto Public Library" tote bag at the time, which reminds me that I want to say a special hi to all the Canadians writing in. I ♥ Canada!

And now I'm going to disappear for a bunch of hours to work on Bitterblue. Talk to y'all later.

Meredith, I just caught your comment and had to respond, because I'm moving away from my sister right before she has her babies and I'm going to be SO SAD WHEN IT'S TIME TO LEAVE! I feel your pain. Also, I share your hatred of celery. V.I.L.E.

I'm Amy, subscribing to your feed through LiveJournal. I'm in western PA with a husband and two small children.

I stalk literary and library-related blogs because it makes the wannabe that I am feel more connected (I'm a wannabe writer-- used to write all the time but can't seem to make the time for it anymore, hoping it's just a dry spell that FEELS longer than it relatively is; I'm a wannabe Youth Services Librarian-- actually I'm on maternity leave right now but even when I'm not I only work a few hours a week reference desk where my kidlit geekitude only occasionally comes in useful).

I friended your blog even before I finished Graceling-- maybe even before I started it-- because you just looked like someone I'd probably be friends with in real life. This way I can pretend I actually have real friends my age who love reading and writing (and discussing) YA lit.

Hi, my name is Harley (female) and no, my last name is not Davidson (I get that a lot). I live in West Virginia. So far I'm the only one at my high school that has read you book (that I know of) and LOVED IT!!! Sadly, I don't have anyone to talk to it about. So, you can probably guess I love reading.

Just to clear this up, West Virginia IS a state. A lot, and I mean A LOT, of people think its Western Virginia. No, its West Virginia, the 35th state!!!!

Hello Kristin, I'm Constance, I live in Asheville, NC. I write children's picture books and poetry, mostly, but have written two tween novels and am trying to get published. Graceling inspired me; Katsa is the coolest, and a great example of a fabulous protagonist who's also flawed. I have a six-year old daughter who also inspires me. Like when she recently said, "What if the cat's trying to tell us that today is her birthday?" Thanks for a very fun blog!

Hey Kristen, I'm Sarah! Currently I live in New Jersey but every now and then I go off to visit my dad and stepmom (who is like an amazing big sister) in Boston.

I love animals! I have two dogs and three cats, all female. I would love to have more animals but right now thats not in the budget so I will have to be content with naming all the groundhogs and bunnies and pretending their my pets.

Someday I would love to travel the world. Particularly Europe although there are some stops I would like to make in South America and Asia. Right now I'm consumed with the thought of going to Spain next year for Spanish. I started planning and saving money for it last year!

I love reading and normally read a few books a week. During the summer I read one a day. Unfortunately recently I was sick with whooping cough (even though I had a shot for it) and missed a bunch of school. With all the make up work there is no time for pleasure reading. This has left me pretty unhappy so I'm trying to get all my work done soon!

I like to draw and am told I'm good although I could use a lot of help! I've recently gotten into writing and am enjoying it very much. I'm a pretty friendly person though some things can set me off. My favorite color is yellow and when I moved up to NJ from TX it's the color I painted my room. I also love raspberries tho most of the people I know don't like them. My friends mean the world to me and I'd do anything for them.

I'm not a fan of bugs. When I see one I freak out and run away screaming. I can only stand butterflies and dragonflies.

And thats pretty much me in a nut shell. :D

I loved Graceling and after I read it for the third time I decided to look you up and see if you had a blog and you did! I can't wait for Fire and Bitterblue! I enjoy reading your blog and squeel in happiness when I see it in my mailbox.

Hi, I'm Lilith (ha not really). I live in Hawaii but would rather live in Europe. I'm 17, and still a reader of YA, and have been since third grade. I want to be an artist one day (going to art skool next year!!) I love your book and any YA book with a strong female character, a trait inspired by my early exposure to Tamora Peirce. I found your blog after googling to see if you had anymore books out (and then I found the blurb that told me it was your first in the actual book...)

Hi! I'm Jan. I am lucky enough to be a children's librarian which means I am surrounded by cute kids and books that I have bought. I have been a children's librarian for 36 years. (Hush now! Be kind, please.) I live in a small cow town an hour north of Detroit. I adore standing in waves on one of the great lakes, with my hair streaming behind me, while I bellow a hymn of praise. dayoppermom

hi! I'm Faith and I'm a YA Librarian on Long Island, in NY. Hopefully I'll get to see you at BEA at the end of the month.

I love strong female characters and mysteries mostly. Put the two together and I'm in heaven. Well as long as it's something well written. I only started reading fantasy when I became a YA librarian (a couple of years ago)and I'm hooked. I'm looking forward to reading "Fire" when it comes out.

Hi, I'm Jake the Girl. I'm a bookseller with a specialty in YA and Middle Grade fiction, and I found your book at BEA last year. I'm studying to become an elementary school teacher and getting married next July. I live in Oakland, CA. I hope to see you at BEA this year!

I am called Rebekah, codename: Rebekah. I do not have, nor have I ever had, a real nickname. I would be more upset about this if the options (Bekah, Becky) didn't annoy me so. I live in Lexington - but I hate it. There's nothing here except for horse farms and the dull suburban reality of white, middle-class America. I would much rather be in the south of England, or the south of Finland, or the south of Canada. Or Switzerland (though it doesn't have to be the south).

I like many things, contrary to the belief shared by most who kind of know me, but not well (due to my love of criticizing things and my distaste for, well, everything here). I enjoy reading, thinking, contemplating the world, learning languages, studying science, doing calculus problems, and taking walks. My favourite languages are Finnish, British English, and French, and I'm also learning Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Latin, German, Spanish, and Arabic (hopefully). I have forty favourite books, and then another list of twenty that I really, really like (and a list of favourite authors which is similarly long). I also like calculus and geometry, but algebra and I have a tangled, confusing relationship that is at once love and hate. My favourite science if biology, but I'm also deeply interested in non-Newtonian-mechanics physics (even if I'm rubbish at it), and I would like to make five clones of myself and be a neuroscientist, a curator at the British library, a linguist, a feminist activist/theologian, and a Finnish-French-English translator living in the south of Finland. I DO NOT like my math teacher, the American grading system, the necessity of having extracurriculars to get into college, sports, or magnets (people-magnets, specifically from my own G&T programme). I do, however, like your book and your blog.

Hello Kristen. My Name is Luna (I know, Moon, and yes, it's my real name). I really should be doing my homework at the moment, since I'm in 7th grade, but instead I'm procrastinating as much as possible. As per usual. I have to say that GRACELING is among the tops in my fantasy list. I live in New York, Manhattan, but I've travled a lot and been to cool places like Egypt, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Japan.

I LOVE the arts. All of them. Dancing, Painting, Drawing, Writing... and Reading of course, though i don't think that's part of the same category. I hate homework (Yeah, yeah, alright, some of it's ok. Geez.), anti-LGBTQ people, sexist people, my conservative social studies teacher, anti-abortion people, and... Track. Well, not really track. Listen, i could go on, but i really wanted to add my voice to the many already complimenting your book.

I just wanted to say that i like the level of complexity in GRACELING. It adds to the sense of reality, not to mention makes it way more interesting.

Kristin, I remember having a few conversations with you about your desire to write children's lit one day. I'm inspired by your persistence and your beautifully written book! I was there the day LG said no to you being in her class. I felt bad for you then, but now the remembrance makes me smile, seeing how much you've accomplished. If she had known what you were capable of.. - Jin ('98 also)

I'm Erin and I live in Cambridge and blog a lot. I actually work with Susan & Cathie at Simmons but taking a break for the time being - hopefully to return this summer. I'm a complete YA addict and tell everyone I know to read Graceling. Initially I was scared away because I'm not traditionally into so-called "fantasy" lit but how wrong I was!

I was also lucky enough to read an arc of Fire and if possible I loved it even more than Graceling. Your readers are going to flip out.

Hi. My name is Lauren but most of my friends and family call me Lo. I think it's because they're lazy, they say it's affectionate. I live in North Dakota. Yes, it's a real place and yes, we do have running water and electricity. We also lack in the landscape department and six of the twelve months a year are too cold for sane living. But summers are beautiful and make up for the horrid, bitter winters. I'm married to a part time super hero and together we have three children that are adoringly insane. I like espresso and good books. I'd like to be a better chess player and want to learn fencing someday. I think the Theremin is a fascinating instrument and plan to purchase one soon. I have the opposite of a green thumb--if there's a term for that--and have successfully killed every plant I've ever owned (even a cactus, which are very hard to kill).Huge fan of Graceling and can't wait for Fire!

Ok so this is my first comment... yes I know... yay! I just want you to know that I loved Graceling. I just finished reading it for the second time....AWESOME! So I was perusing amazon trying to see if you had anything new out and i saw Fire... I got so excited so I googled it and found your blog and now I'm even more excited.

I find myself wanting to ask if Raffin and Bann are gay... I mean I get that vibe from them but you never say.

So My name is Caitlin, I live in Kansas, I'm 19, and I love to read fantasy and young adult that has anything remotely fantasy about it. LOVE your work!

Hi Kristin. :) I'm Chelsey, a teen from Northern Utah. Reading amazing stories and writing not-so-amazing stories (haha) are my favorite things to do. I also love watching and making movies with my friends, listening to good music, rain, cheesecake, cookie dough, and lots of other things. :)

I would rather be in any place besides Utah, but New Zealand is the place I most want to be. (Yes, I'm addicted to LOTR!)

I read Graceling a few weeks ago, in less than 24 hours, and I LOVED it! It's my dream to become a writer, and you are such and inspiration to me. Thank you for writing, and thank you for blogging! It definitely makes my week. :)

I'm Alison, a librarian and aspiring author. I live in Dallas, TX, with my husband and diva of a cat. I am one year younger than Hello Kitty and the same age as punk rock. I like good books, geek television (Doctor Who, Lost, anything Joss Whedon thinks up), my iTouch, and knitting. And I wish I was in London.

I'm lindsie, I'm going to be a college senior next fall and will graduate to become a social worker. I love to read and have actually just restarted reading Graceling, falling in love all over again... I just got a Mac bc my HP laptop died and I am falling in love with that too.

I'm Ophelia, and I adore your book! I just finished my PhD in English specializing in YA lit. I'm an aspiring writer - along with the rest of the known world - but to pay the bills I teach hilarious, sarcastic, wonderfully cynical students.

Hi, my name is Angie. I live in a small suburb west of St. Louis, MO called Wentzville. I grew up in the area but lived most of my adult life in San Antonio, TX. I'm a Texas gal by heart! I have an awesome best friend/husband who lovingly parents our 2 1/2 year old son (who, I honestly believe, the sun revolves around! lol). Besides running, moving, shaking, dancing, talking, tormenting the 2 cats, gardening, jumping, and riding his trike, his favorite thing to do is read books with his mommom! :-) I was a teacher by trade (early childhood - elementary deaf ed.) but went to the dark side when I became a special education administrator.

Since I want to end on a positive note, I'll start with things that bother me and/or I don't like:lima beanscoughing until you pee your pants (it sucks getting old! lol)movies based on great books that suckpeople who have no opinion, on anything, whatsoeverpeople who have no sense of humor

I stumbled across Graceling at a book store, bought it, saw what people were writing for reviews on Amazon and followed that to your blog - and I've been lurking/posting ever since. Thank you for sharing your talent and writing an amazing blog! I can't wait for Mondays and Thursdays.

Nice to meet you! I'm Arin, and I live in New York with my two younger brothers, a boat load of animals, my mother, and her husband. I'm fifteen, and strangely, an all-the-time reader. All the time. Everywhere. I get yelled at by my teachers, my boyfriend's a book, and I swear I have paper cut scars from every book I've touched. I just finished Graceling. One: I love Katsa's name. SPOILER (DONT READ ON) Two: I'm hoping Po doesn't remain blind. Three: You are an incredible writer. I've read so many books. Including the Twilight Series, the Vampire Academy Series, The Hunger Games, and the House of Night Novels. All of which are my most treasured, and I put Graceling right in there with them. I write myself, and although I'm far from famous, I hope to become an author like you. Thank you very much for the Novel. I hope to read the next book, and many of your other stories.

Hi! So, shockingly, Lady of Shalott is not my real name, but no one can pronounce my real name anyway :-). I first read Graceling a couple of weeks ago, and it reminded me of everything I love about reading and YA novels, and of what it means to fall in love with a book, which I had almost forgotten.

I'm 20 years old, born and raised in New York City. I'm a junior in college here, majoring in English lit, trying to remind myself that it's worth doing what you love, even if you'll never get a job... right?

Here is what I want to do with my life: Work in children's publishing (possibly start my own house one day...I can't really see myself working long term for any of the big ones...). Possibly teach, as I've started to understand how much an amazing teacher can affect your life. Maybe get a degree in Children's literature from a certain school in Boston... Be a large animal vet. Be a Broadway star. Be a horiculturist

I want to travel the world, write a screenplay, buy a castle in Scotland, and build myself a library like the one in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I am terribly shy. I'm a klutz. I tend to fall madly in love with fictional characters. I love the spring, and am glad it finally stopped raining in New York.

Hi! I'm MJ. I live in Pittsburgh, which is really not as bad as many people seem to think. I enjoy wikipedia, the Spanish language, and good books. I can't wait to explore the world, but I also really love the feeling of coming home. I really enjoyed your book and can't wait for the rest (hopefully many more to come). Best of luck!!!

I'm Jenna. I'm a teen librarian in Colorado and I *love* my job because teenagers are the best people. I also love to read teen literature and Graceling was my favoritest book of 2008. I got a copy of Fire at ALA and read it so fast. It's very good, but not quite as good as Graceling. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for Bitterblue. I read the blogs of all the best authors so of course you're included. Some of my favorite things: a good book that sucks me in and won't let go, my pets (two dogs, two cats, a turtle, and however many goldfish the turtle hasn't yet eaten), my friends, my job. Things I hate: intolerance and mean people.

Rebekah, you may or may not be aware that I also love Finland. And I also grew up in a place I grew to despise, and dreamed of leaving. And I did leave -- and you will, too -- and it has been marvelous to live in other places... and also marvelous to find myself feeling homesick and thinking of my home with true fondness. I hope that can happen for you someday -- and good luck planning your escape.

Speaking of travel, I would also love to be in New Zealand. Chelsey, did you know that Eomer is my husband? :o)

I love my Mac, too, and I love raspberries, and I'm afraid I also love kiwi! Jan, 36 years as a children's librarian is something for the rest of us to cheer and thank you for! Ophelia, a PhD with a specialization in YA sounds VERY COOL. Jin: ♥. LG scarred me but didn't stop me! And it's great to hear from you. Erin, I wonder if I could get my publisher to use "her readers are going to flip out" as a blurb on the cover of FIRE? :o)

Finally, some quick questions and answers: I am not on goodreads. It is DEFINITELY worth doing what you love even if you don't get a job! What is a Theremin? And Caitlin: If you go to my FAQ pages, you'll see that you're not the first person to ask that question. I don't answer it, not because of the subject matter but only because I don't think a writer should ever stand outside a book and interpret the book for other people. It's up to the reader to decide what the book means; the book needs to be its own answer.

Hi, I'm Erika. I'm from a suburb of Chicago and a junior in high school. I detest drivers who talk on their cell phones, and i love dancing, summer, my four-year-old brother, and the Chicago Cubs. My favorite book ever is The Yearling.

Hi! I'm Natasha from Fargo, North Dakota. I am 27, married, with one kitty cat named Cherrie. I am an aspiring author who is trying to write every day! I have one novel written, and have two on the way!

I love fantasy (which I am writing), and your book was a wonder to read! Can't wait for the next one, but totally understand the time thing.

Hi Kristen! So I know I am answering to your blog a little late but never mind ;) I am 13 years old, going to high school next year. I live in San Francisco, CA (I <3 SF!!!!). I have a bunny, and love riding horses. Especially jumping :) *random alert* things I love: my bunny, riding horses (especially jumping), singing (Im in the SF girls chorus and the chorus sang at OBAMAS INAUGURATION!! i didn't tho. :( but it was awesome), umm I write poems, not into writing stories because I lose my patience usually I can say what I need to say in a few pages I don't want or need a whole 300! but really admire novelists I don't know how you do it but I LOVE reading novels (espeially Graceling. :) and A Great and and Terrible Beauty. and Pride and Prejudice actually. used to be in love w Twilight but am over it and really dont like it anymore (NO OFFENSE AT ALL to twilight readers. please dont kill me! i know people get passionate about that book ;)I have been published in Stone Soup magazione but Im almost too old for it would really like to get a poetry book published in the future. I especially like the work of Philip Booth (hes really amazing!!) Thanks Kristen for writing such a beautiful bookj as Graceling! As I was reading it while on a horse riding trip, I was always thinking about it duting long trail rides and at night. I thought about it a lot actually. But that's what good books should do to you. Make you think, I mean. Wow sorry didn't mean to write a novel there (and then here I am saying I prefer writing short poems! ha ;) KEEP WRITING KRISTEN!! cant wait for fire. and just a btw my favorite characters in Graceling were Po and Leck. Po because hes awesome and Leck because he made the story interesting.

Kristen. What a really great invitation to your readers. Thanks for asking. I can't believe you're taking the time to make comments yourself, too.

I think I'm going to broaden the demographic profile a bit. I'm a 43-year-old gay man. I live with my husband and my six-year-old twin daughters in San Francisco. I grew up in Claremont, California, but have lived in San Francisco since college. (I went to Grinnell College, in Iowa.)

My husband and I have been together nineteen years. We had a commitment ceremony in 1994, got married in San Francisco City Hall in 2004, and then finally got legally married in California in 2008. It looks likely that the Supreme Court of California will uphold Proposition 8, so we will find out whether the state is going to divorce us soon. Of course, it's only a matter of time until we finally have a lasting legal marriage. But it's difficult to put my kids through this and to have to explain to them why so many people think their parents shouldn't be allowed to be married.

Okay, sorry for the rant. Like so many here, I'm a writer. I'm a historian by training (I have a PhD from Stanford in American history), but I am not a professor. I'm mostly a full-time parent now. I'm working on a YA novel. It's "contemporary" YA, meaning it's set in a contemporary high school. I've struggled with how much to make it a gay story, since I worry about whether it will be too niche. But I don't really have a choice at this point, since I just need to tell the story that I'm telling. (If any of you YA librarians want to weigh in on the pros and cons of a gay-themed YA novel, please do.)

I like a lot of stuff, too much too detail. But some of the things that make my life rich these days include: fantasy novels, John Green's novels, E. Lockhart's novels, The New York Times, Slate podcasts, The Atlantic, The Wire (watching the DVDs), Julia Nunes playing ukulele on YouTube, conversations with my close friends, spending time volunteering at my kids' school, running, Peet's coffee, oranges (I don't know why, but I have a huge orange thing going), my lovely in-laws, Dan Savage's podcast, and too many blogs.

I found your blog through Amazon, I think, and have followed it ever since. It's delightful to read about your writing habits, which I find endlessly fascinating. I know you probably get asked all the time, but I would really love to hear more about the nitty gritty of your writing practice (no detail is too insignificant.) Where do you write, when, what are you drinking, what software or pen do you use, how does it go for you . . . blah blah blah. Really, I'm obsessed. Personally, the thing that worked for me is to finally copy everyone who does the wake up at 5 thing. I write for two hours, or until my kids come downstairs, which can be much sooner. I have time during the day, but there's something about the habit of waking up and doing it first thing that works. The only problem is my sleep deprivation is getting cumulative, and I'm starting to feel sleepy all the time.

I haven't attended my blogger blog forever, but I do have a photo blog that I update frequently: www.wkrbox.com

Thanks again for the invitation to say hello. It's great to be part of your community.

Oh yes, I hope it goes without saying, I loved Graceling. I can't wait for Fire and envy the librarians and others who have had the luck to see a ARC.

I'm Jessica. I live in Southern California with my boyfriend and a kitty. I don't like earthquakes or natural disasters of pretty much any kind. I love movies and reading, and as of right now, have read more than anyone I know. I want to be a librarian, and I'm graduating from college in 3 weeks. Yay!

Hi there, I'm Caro from Seattle. I just added your feed to my feed reader after reading Graceling and recommending it to several friends. I'm a big fan of YA books, especially books where the women/girls kick butt so your book was right up my alley.

Looking forward to reading more of your stuff and "getting to know you" (such as it is) via your blog.

Hi Kristen! I'm Evelyn, from Seattle, WA. I love the rain(it is raining right now), and of course I love YA :] I'm still a teenager, but someday I'm going places. I will see the world, and I've a mind to start with Spain. When I go to college, I want to go somewhere with PLENTY of foreign exchange programs. I have loved New Zealand for many years and am desperate to go there, although the passion has abated a little bit over the years. Currently, my favorite class is Spanish, but next year I plan on taking French as well, even though everyone is telling me that it will be too much. A girl named Karen moved here from Brazil a few months ago, and we became good friends. Sadly, she had to go back to Brazil, but another goal of mine is to visit her in Rio de Janeiro, so I will also need to learn Portuguese.One of my greatest loves is soccer(football, properly) and my two favorite teams are Chelsea Football Club(in London) and Seattle Sounders FC(here!). I can't wait until this summer when CFC is coming to play the Sounders!!!Your writing is beautiful, so thank you for sharing it with all of us. Career Ideas: It would be a dream to be a travel journalist, or even have a travel show. I would also LOVE to be a photographer for an amazing magazine like National Geographic(I would even take a picture of you with the sword that doesn't match your dress :) Someday I hope to settle down in a place like London, but if I find somewhere else that I love, I'm definitely ok with that. Seattle will always hold a special place in my heart, despite all of my longing for other places, so maybe I'll end up back here. But I think I'll just go with the flow...

I realized that I forgot to add my BIGGEST(possibly) pet peeve:I think that I truly die a little bit inside when people say "Today in Washinton..." and I'm all, "ooh, local news!" and then they start talking about D.C. This is why I always say D.C. rather than Washington. I never know if people are talking about Washington State or Washington D.C., and when I ask them they look at me like I'm crazy and say "D.C. of course." Sometimes I even get "Washington State? Where is that again?"Thank you for having patience with my rant :]

Hi Kristin! I'm Kiley, I'm 16 and I'm from California. I found Graceling in the library several months ago, and then I couldn't help myself and bought it from the bookstore a little while later. :). I've been following your blog for about the same length of time but have never worked up the courage to post anything. I love to read and write. I'm also a runner (albeit a slow one) and I do track and cross country for my school. During the track season, I also do high jump. My three major goals in life are to publish a novel, to become an astronaut, and to travel around the world. I have two cats, two younger sisters, and one incredibly annoying younger brother.

Charly here! I've written about myself before on your blog. You might recognize my name.

I've been really busy lately - just finished up with AP testing and Seussical the Musical, both things that I have been working on for most of the school year. So you may not have seen my name recently. But I always read your posts. :D

Check out this video! It is the performance of the guy who won this year's Eurovision Song Contest. It is a new favorite of mine. I think the count of repeated plays of it in the last two days has upped to about 30. I can't get enough of it.

Hi, I'm Gagan. I live in Vancouver and read constantly. Currently, I'm taking the summer semester off to try to figure out what I'll be doing when I go back to school in September. Unfortunately, I'm working most of the time at Mcd's to help my vastly depleted savings grow. It doesn't help that I'm simultaneously drawing up lists of thing I want to buy :P

I loathe insects, bullying, and books whose characters are only concerned with who's wearing/sleeping with/hating what/whom.

One of my favorite books is These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer; another is Evolution's Darling by Scott Westerfeld. I can't wait for Graceling's prequel, and I love reading your posts; they're beautiful and I'm sure Fire will be the same. :)

Hi Kristin, I'm Jen and I've commented a few times before. Thank you so much for writing this blog, I've enjoyed it so much since I found it. I hadn't actually read Graceling then, but I loved your "voice" so decided I had to go read it and was glad I did because it was great! I can't wait for Fire!

I live on Cape Cod with my husband and three young boys who are the light of my life. Unfortunately, they keep me very, very busy. I write, but finding consistent time to do so now is challenging. I'm really looking forward to next year when my youngest goes to preschool. After I cry because my youngest is going to preschool. Everything has it's time, so I'm focusing on enjoying their childhoods right now.

I'm also a runner, knitter, crocheter, and gardener. And, sorry, but I love leafblowers. If you had over fifty oak trees in your yard, your opinion might change as well :) Did you know that some oak trees hold half of their leaves until spring when the new buds finally force them to leave? This means I'm raking/leafblowing from November to April. It's fun in November. Not in April. Ugh.

My name is Jennah and I live in the middle east. I am an aspiring writer and am hoping to get published within the next 2 years. I love animals of any sort and adore horse riding. My friends say I'm going to end up as a teacher like my mom or a lawyer like my uncle. They say I'm very understand and whip them into shape when they need it. I'm a great listener and although I talk a lot I allow others to comment too. I love horse riding so much and adore my horse Apachie, a massive (very massive) fellow who I happened to see hugging a female horse around the neck. He's a very stubborn, like his rider might I add. I am a book fanatic and love writing until my mind is numb and my fingers are screaming in protest. I wrote a novel and half way through I decided I didn't like it so I started another one that I simply ADORE. I have 3 african grey parrots and have taken care of many dogs whether it be a dog on the street or a friends dog the mother got sick of or dogs my uncle bought, I've taken care of them. I had a cat that was a beautiful white color with green eyes and I named him Snowy. He was a birthday present. I love music like a Fine Frenzy or Evanescence or The Fray or The script Or BREAKING BENJAMIN:p. -Jen

V.I.L.E. celery! I F*@#ing LOVE that!!! I'm 29 years old and I admit that if I take a mouthful of tater salad, or other salad and hit a piece of celery (especially if I don't know it's lurking in there) it's still a struggle to not spit the mouthful of food out. 29 and it's still my first impulse! Celery is the center of all evil! I bet Leck eats celery at every meal!

Hi Kristin,A Theremin is an instrument that is played without ever being touched because it's sound comes from sensory movement. It was invented in 1919 by a Russian pysicist called Lev Termen. It has two antennas, one that controls the pitch and the other controls the volume and when your hands approach either of them, it makes a very cool (and somewhat eerie) sound.There is a website devoted to the Theremin (which is not a proper noun, but I like to make it one anyway). http://www.thereminworld.com/default.aspI know that YouTube also has some videos of people playing the Theremin--very neat!

It must be such a rush to hear from 101 people! I'm a passionate reader of YA lit, and I heard about GRACELING from the smart and wonderful librarians on YALSA-BK. As a former high school English teacher, I attend the ALAN Workshop each year, which is an amazing and exhilarating event. I hope your school and library marketing people can get you on the program there someday.

I'm currently a person in transition, having just finished (yesterday!) all the requirements for a doctorate in English Education at the University of Michigan. Sometime this summer I will be moving with my family to start a job as an assistant professor at St. Louis University. I know you have moved a lot, so if you could post on that subject sometime, I think it would help me to cope with this scary transition.

My name is C.G., the initials, named after a character on Knots Landing, not initials.

I am a 24 year old web marketer in Louisville KY. Graduated from IUS and currently working on my master. I used to work for the New Albany/Floyd County Public Library, shelving the young adult books, which started my love of YA.

I follow a few author and reviewer blogs which is how I found out about Graceling, and I absolutely adored it.

I love books, movies, my garden, and my beautiful dog, sammie. I hope to write my own novel someday and see my name on your blog.

Thanks for giving us a peek into your great world, I can't wait for the next books.

I’m Lilliam from Isabela, a beautiful small town in the north coast of Puerto Rico. Now, I’m living in Toa Baja (1.5 hrs east from Isabela) with my husband. No kids, just two Gold fish, there were three but one died because I forgot to feed them for almost two weeks…sorry, but I’m a really busy woman. I have a cactus named Rosa she’s been with me since my crazy years in college (thank God she doesn’t talk, ;o)...) , she doesn’t need much care so that’s why it’s still alive…well… sometimes I think she’s indestructible. Few years a go I forgot her outside during a Hurricane and when the Hurricane ended it was in the same place that she was before, silent and faithful like always. I’m an accountant not a writer but if a write a book someday it’s going to be about my long time friend Rosa the Cactus.

Hey, I'm Liv (short for Olivia). I live in Bakersfield, California. I'm a 6th grade teacher, so I'm constantly reading (and enjoying) Preteen & YA fiction. I have a class full of readers this year, so I've been plowing through novel after novel to keep ahead.

There are too many things that I love, but here's a glipse. I love freshly diced pinapple, long emails from far-away friends, and shelfari.com (a reader's heaven).

Hello! I'm Katie from Wisconsin. I live in Neenah, go to school in Madison, and love books and the simple pleasures of life. I still think stuffed animals have feelings. I am irrevocably in love with my papasan chair (in a will-sleep-here-tonight-it-is-so-comfortable way). I dislike being ordered around, wanting to fall asleep but not being able to do so, and my former anthropology professor.

I fell in love with Graceling sometime between pages 2 and 50, and I spent a whole Saturday reading it. I've been a little lurker on your blog for sometime now.

I teach at a university in California--I finished my PhD last summer and I still can't believe I'm expected to be a grown-up now. I love reading and daydreaming and running even when I hate it, and riding my bike around smelling all the flowers blooming around here, and staring out at the ocean so hard that my eyes will pop out, wishing I could open my eyes even further so that the ocean would get implanted in my brain and then I could walk around with it forever. (I'm from the midwest, and California is still novel to me.)

I should be grading right now, but I'd rather be doing just about anything else, including getting cavities drilled--unfortunately, no one's offering me a trade. So grading is high on my list of hates.

I found your blog after finishing Graceling, which I loved. I can't wait to read your next book!

Hi, Im Sam, I live in Cornwall UK, I have 2 dogs and read alot of sci-fi/fantasy books, I usually buy my books totally on impulse (I like the cover/title I get it) and have only been dissapointed once (not by Graceling :D )

It's still rainy and cool here today, which I love (any cool day in Florida is worth cherishing), but I do NOT love the mail carrier who left a package on my doorstep in the sopping rain and didn't even knock. HELLOOOOO. I AM SITTING RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR. THANK YOU FOR RUINING MY COPY OF A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY.A special hello today to Washington (the state) and also to California -- I notice a lot of you are writing from there! And yay for the Middle East, Puerto Rico, the UK, and Australia (all parts).

Lauren, thanks for explaining the Theremin! Alexa, welcome to your soon-to-arrive baby :o). Jen, I'll admit that that's an argument for leaf blowers -- if only everyone used them for that reason, not to move dust senselessly from one place to another. Thank you to everyone who told me your goals, I love the goals! Hi to Rosa the Cactus! And Katie, I'm 32 and converse regularly with stuffed animals, so I'm with you there.

James from Brisbane, I wanted to thank you for what you said about appreciating the relationship between Katsa and Bitterblue. I'm struggling to write / expand that very relationship in the book I'm writing now, so it's marvelous to hear that it touched someone.

Finally, Paul, thanks for broadening the demographic profile and for sharing your story. Your rant is always, ALWAYS welcome on my blog. If you were a reader back here in February, you'll know that I rant about it sometimes, too. Also, I wanted to say that while I don't know much about what constitutes "niche" publishing, whether your book would fall in that category, and what the pros and cons are, I can say that I know plenty of readers who are eager for more YA with non-straight characters. And more importantly, YES, you just need to to write the novel you need to write, and try not to worry about the audience / how it's going to be received / whether it will be published. If you give yourself to the story asking to be told, and if you put true feeling into it, people will love it regardless of what issues it addresses or what niche people try to stick it in. Forget the reader and the publisher. Just write. And best of luck!

I've taken down people's suggestions for future FAQs and posts. Now I'm off to walk in the rain. I think I'll wear my green rain boots and carry my purple sparkly iridescent umbrella!

Laura here, from outside Philadelphia. A hopeful writer and actual career counselor. Reading is one of my most delicious luxuries and I know my husband is grateful that my tastes don't run toward designer shoes. When a friend expressed shock that I had never read To Kill A Mockingbird, I was doubtful. But he insisted I buy it and I was smitten. If I had a daughter, I'd like her to be just like Scout. But I didn't, I have two rockin' boys who have introduced me to the joys of Rick Riordan and Spongebob Squarepants. I introduced them to J.K. Rowling.

Hey! I'm Ash, and I live somewhere in New Yawk (all of NY isn't the city, btw).

I'm in school, and have no idea what I want to do. I love YA books, and started writing "seriously" (quotes because it's fun for me, not work) a year or so ago, and am facing a lifetime of writing before me.

Other than that- I dance, and I love it. Modern dance. I get straight A's, am a huge procrastinator, and love lasagna above all foods available to mankind.

I don't like squeaky shoes or people who chew food loudly. freaks me out.

Hi. My name is Alicia and I am from the Bay Area, California. I recently started reading a lot for fun after a mandatory break from mandatory reading. Graceling is responsible for opening the flood gates of my famished imagination and I just can't seem to get enough!

I strongly dislike schools and teachers who take the fun out of reading and using your imagination. I am ecstatic that the giant green monster with blue stripes, and purple spots named Imagination which has been locked up for so long is now free to roam and occupy my mind and time!

I love reading about strong women and I have recently started writing a story of my own about a woman who has all of the special abilities that I wish I had!

Your site is refreshing and funny and I have added it to my daily routine...always checking..."Did Kristin write anything new?!"

Hi, I'm Carmen and I just finished reading Graceling (like nearly 5 min before finding your blog), and wanted to say what a wonderful and refreshing book it is, to have such strong female characters and sympathetic male characters with an engaging storyline.

I'm an aspiring writer here in the Bay Area of California, though I tend to spend most my time reading than writing. Also love music and hanging out with my friends, and talking about books.

hi my name is tegan. i live in melbourne, australia. i am fifteen years old. i love the book graceling and can't wait for fire. i am glad to hear she is fiery hair since us redheads dont deserve the recognition we deserve:) GO REDHEADS!

Thanks for your thoughts, Kristin. And I feel like an idiot for misspelling your name before. (Also, I do remember your previous rant about the marriage issue, and I appreciated it at the time.) Oh, and one more thing, I realized a lot of my questions about your writing habit (e.g., where you sit) are answered on your page about that. I just want to know even more.

Hi, I'm Sarah. I live in Texas with my two cats and ferrets. I love reading YA, and am often times lost so much in my reading that I lose track of time all together. I recently just graduated with a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. I would love to be a writer someday, but fear that I'm to lazy to actually accomplish something.

Hello my name is Brittany and I live in the lovely state of Florida, I have read Graceling and fell in love with it. I've always loved to read but this year at school its been touch and Graceling really made me remember why I loved reading so much. I'm a aspiring writer and have been writing since about the fourth grade. I also never go anywhere without a piece of paper and pen...and normally a few books(my bag is always heavy :D)I love all kinds of book and some things that I like aside from the above is music, the beach, surfing, oddly enough school most of the time and rain. There is something enpowering about running through the rain and getting soaked to the core. A few things that I do not care for is tv, horrible pop music, and make-up.that is pretty much the main things I can think about to say

Cindy, CONGRATULATIONS on the release of Silver Phoenix! I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't read it yet -- but it is creeping to the top of my pile, slowly! A friend of mine loved it. BTW, I loved all the same books, too, when I was young :o)

Hello New Yawk! (not the city)

Yay redheads!

Brittany, I hate makeup, too, and I don't know what part of FL you live in, but if it's north FL, you must be in heaven, since it hasn't stopped raining for 3 days!

I am not named Eilonwy, but it is a pseudonym I've been stealing from Lloyd Alexander's novels for years (actually, decades).

I am a bit disturbed that the quantity and quality of these comments will prevent you from doing what I want you to do--write more novels.

I think that See's Candy should have a better national distribution system, all public libraries should be better funded, I'd get more of my own writing done (generally not fiction) if I stopped reading amusing blogs, all books with sexually active characters should include a discussion of birth control, sliced bread was not a particularly good invention, snood's don't really seem all that appealing to me but archery does.

I'm not sure I agree that Charlotee's Web is the best book ever, but it might have the best final paragraphs ever!

Eilonwy, don't you worry; if my blog kept me from my writing, I would axe it. Instead I find it to be a release valve. You see, I am not EVER allowed to express things with emoticons in my novels! Where else can I do it but here? :o) ^_^ =^.^=

Greetings! I'm Sara. I live just outside Philadelphia in a cottage in the woods (which I love) which is kind of falling apart and a little too small (don't love.) I have two cats (can be seen at my blog: skistle.blogspot.com) that I'm obsessed with, plus a about-to-be-husband and a woefully unfinished YA novel to keep me company. Thankfully, I also have a lovely critique group to keep me mostly sane.

Pretty much at any point during the day I would rather be in bed reading with the cats lying on my legs. Also, I must tell you--Tamora Pierce has been my favorite author since the age of 11, and it wasn't until Graceling that a YA fantasy gripped me and drew me in and made me remember why I became obsessed with the genre in the same way that her books did.

Hello there. If I had a name of my choosing, it would be Charlie, despite how it's commonly used as a male name...I find it fits me. I am only a little freshmen in high school but love your books Kristen, and most of the ones you recommend. I live in the city but dream of cottages in forests and places where it's quiet enough to hear crickets (not locusts) sing at night. I love to write, even though my english teacher thinks I'd be better fit spending my time elsewhere, and am fond of stars. At my school I've spread the word of your book to a friend who finds it every bit as lovely as I do. Just wanted to let you know, that shuffle by shuffle, your book is taking over the hearts of the old and young.

People call me Des. I am a certifiable blog lurker breaking habit by commenting. I hail from the Pacific Northwest (the green side of the mountains strictly. I hate deserts and hot weather. Give me rain constantly for months and I am in bliss). I would rather be in Canada. People do not have to sell a few extra limbs to afford higher education!

From the age of two, I have been utterly obsessed with horses. When on a horse, I feel the most alive and like myself. I ride the discipline dressage. Dressage has in the horse sport, not a salad dressing. (Watch one of these to understand what dressage is: http://www.topdressage.tv/ In particular, World Cup Finals> Las Vegas 2009> Steffen Peters and Ravel )

I know my horse better than myself or anyone else.

I live for chocolate almond croissants from the french bakery in Granville Island, Vancouver, BC.

I WILL drudge through many more years of schooling. What do I want to be when I 'grow up'? I have no clue.

I read Graceling in ten hours straight through. The result was traveling thousands of miles via several airports with four hours of sleep to see my estranged father's parents for the first time. It says something to the brilliance of the book that it held my attention through an anxious night. I do not regret my reading spree!

My name is Elizabeth. I live in Portland, OR with my husband. We are friends with a lot of Willams grads in their early 30s (maybe you know some of them?). I love YA and thought Graceling was one of the best stories I've read recently. I really appreciate reading your insights on writing and reading and life. Keep up the great work! :)

I actually just finished Graceling. I adored it, but I want to know more about Katsa and Po...I feel like there's still so much more to their story! Her confrontation with Randa, Po's with his mom, if he ends up taking back his castle or if he'll forever prefer his little mountain hideaway, Katsa's adventures teaching girls how to fight...obviously you know more about their story, they're your characters, but the book just left me wanting more from them. I loved it. Po's new hardships were a nice touch.

Anyway, my name is Karina and I'm a college student in OH. I have six cats, a dog, a horse, and a bunny...I want to be a veterinarian, so I'm bio/premed right now. I love reading (books and fanficion) and stay up far later than I should just to do so. :)

Hi, I'm Erica. I'm a Italian girl. I learn English only at school so I don't very well it. I rode Graceling and I love it!!! now I'm waiting the translation of Fire even if it is the prequel and me I waited for the sequel of Graceling...Anyway I have been serving circus for 5 years and I love the YA...and I I would want to know if you know when it will go out in Italy FireThanks... xDyour Italian pen friend

Warning: A ranter is on the loose and has been set on this blog! Beware! She bites!

Before I go introducing myself, I just have to say that I think that this is totally cool of you to open up to your readers. I really think it's admirable of authors who really try and connect with readers. It shows that you're real and not some author that's too good to be true. :)

Anyways.

I'm Amelia. I'm 14 and I live in Charlotte, NC. I'm a writer and I hope to become an author. And, even though I'm attempted not to sound like a completely demented stalker-tween, I take great inspiration in your work. "Graceling"--which I'm rereading for the third time--it's so straight-forward and to the point. Gotta love that. You don't add unnecessary "fluff" (not the romance kind). You don't write about nothing, you know? Everything has meaning to it. I think it's impressive.

I'm starting up another book and I'm hoping that it takes off. (I publish my work for free on Booksie.com. So it's not "for real" like your work.) Anyways. Reading your blog and seeing how you go through the writing process really helps me. I try to write everyday but I take solace that you're not uptight in writing everyday so I settle for jotting down story notes instead. It's very helpful.

Just a little tidbit: "Graceling" is probably the first book I list when I recommend a novel.

And now, I'm sincerely hoping that I don't sound like a pathetic tween who doesn't have a life...even though I actually don't anyway.

I enjoy books that have a strong female protagonist. Even though I don't come across this often, I like reading about characters who have so much power that they have no idea how to deal with it. It's why I love "Graceling" so much. It's usually characters who struggle trying to be better and with Katsa, it's much the opposite. It's why I like Tamora Pierce books, too, because she write about girls knocking down the standards and redefining them.

I have to ask...Does Katsa loiter? Does she lurk in the corner of your mind and be all like, "That is SO not how I'd do it," kind of thing?

I'd also like to say that you do a fantastic job of describing fight scenes. That's always been a bit of a sticky spot for me because I feel like there's so much going on and then when I look back at what I've written, I feel like I'm missing something. Do you have any tips about writing scenes like that so that, with luck, I could cast the illusion that I know what I"m talking about when I'm writing?

Okay, I've taken up a lot of your time. There are more important people waiting to be attended to!

Oh, but one last question. Did you feel overwhelmed at all when you started getting published internationally? Did you ever have fantasies or daydreams about being popular? Going to book signings (by the way, you need to come to Charlotte because I've never been to an author's appearance before because apparently, everyone is too cool for Charlotte *rolls eyes*) and becoming more and more popular over a small period of time? Does it seem surreal, like you're just patiently waiting to wake up and get back to reality?

Okay, now I really am going. Thank you so much for opening up this opportunity!

My name is Lauren. I'm a wanna be writer who's too afraid to actually write anything, and yet I have over 100 folders on my computer that are each different stories. I live in Texas, where it's already baking hot in may and at 8 a.m.. I love fantasy novels my favorites are probably Howl's Moving Castle series by Diana Wynne Jones. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite story of all time!!! I've had the same boyfriend since my sophmore year of high school and I love love love him! I'm currently puppy-less cause my poor old Dog, Lady, just got too old. I'm on the lookout for a great new canine friend.

I am a firm believer that good stories come in all different forms of media. I play video games, watch anime and read manga, love a small collection of TV shows (EVERYONE WATCH AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER), I work in a movie store, and I love listening to old people ramble on!

Hi, I'm Kelly from Charlotte, NC. I love to walk early inteh mornign with my 2 Golden Retrievers when the sun is just burning off the fog and your feet can leave footprints in the dew. I like to think of myself as a writer - it's what I spend my free time doing. Thanks to you and Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Feet) I decided to stop writing what I think will sell and I write what I love - fantasy. Whether it's ever published or not, I'm having a blast, so thanks for all of your encouragement to other writers out there!

Loved Graceling, can't wait for Fire. I'm not a follower of your blog and wish you a fantabulous day!

Hi, I want to say how nice it is that you want to hear from your readers! I'm Jen and I live in the beautiful state of Vermont, and I am a non-profit fundraiser for a women's health care organization. I'm 33, and love to read. And love the idea of being a writer. I have been on a YA kick lately and completely enjoyed Graceling. This is my first comment, though I found your blog a few weeks ago and have really loved your posts. Looking forward to your future novels!

It's lovely of you to invite your readers to introduce ourselves. My name is Shannon. I am a teacher and a new mom. Actually, my daughter Winnie is a toddler, but I still consider myself a new parent, maybe because she is changing so quickly that I never, ever feel that I'm "in the know."

We live in Brooklyn with a tail-less dog who can wag her bum hard enough to flag a plane, as my husband likes to say. Our apartment is sunny and perpetually messy. I love starting projects, but have a problem with completing them. Unfinished sweaters and mittens hang from their needles, stashed under the couch. Curtains that I fell in love with but never quite got around to hanging reside in the baby's closet. Cupboards that are only half organized... you get the idea.

I also write. For money, I contribute to books and resources for educators. For fun, I write stories for kids and for adults. Again, the problem lies in the finishing.

Often I stick to things that can be finished in an afternoon, like a batch of cookies or a yoga class. Or a glass of wine. You know. Depending on the mood.

Thanks for your wonderful posts, Kristin. My sister (a librarian) gave me Graceling for Christmas. I lent it around to my YA-loving friends and now it lives on the high shelf (the Someday Shelf) in my one-year-old daughter's room. Like so many of your other fans, I'm eagerly awaiting October, when I can get my hands on Fire.

Hello. I'm Lindsay. I'm a college student from VA. I spend most of my free time cooking, reading and playing some sport/roughhousing. I'm better able to appreciate the small moments in life, rather than the big ones which tend to feel too surreal to sink in. I want to change the world and create, but I lack direction. And I can't get your book out of my head.

Salutations! I'm Gilly. I'm a graphic designer by both professional and avocation, and an amateur actor in my spare time. I live in the Boston area. I'm a voracious reader, YA fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and I enjoyed Graceling enough to follow you here!

Hello, I'm Rebecca, I live in southeast Oklahoma, I'm 35 years old, and am married with two wonderful children. I love to read, play sports, watch reality TV, watch Ghosthunters, and go gambling occasionally in Shreveport Louisana to play craps with my husband. I'm an auditor.

My most favorite book is The Stand by Stephen King. Other favorites include Graceling, The Host, and the Bitten series by Kelly Armstrong. I'm in a book club and we just read Still Alice which I highly recommend. It was painfully great (You will understand if you read it).

I have recommended Graceling to everyone in may reading circle and they all love it from ages 11 to 65.

When I read Graceling, I felt like I was Katsa. You are an empowering writer. Keep up the great work.

I'm Kate, and I live in Cambridge, MA (hello, soon-to-be-neighbor!). I'm a freelance journalist and food blogger, trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I miss NYC and daydream about running away to France. I read a lot of everything, but lately there has been an insane amount of YA, thanks to some extra-super-fun freelance assignment wherein I got paid (minimally) to read books. And not business books, for once. Woot!I like my husband, vegetables, pork, pretty things, letterpress, painting, the walnut trees outside my office, down comforters, NH lakes, the color yellow...

My name is Courtney, hullo! :3 I live in the US (>_>), I love manga, warm, soft hoodies, and mopeds. My friend randomly gave me your book to read a few months ago and I fell in love with it! (I even found myself reading in Algebra... Yeah, my teacher wasn't too happy about that. :D)

I'm in high school, and I'm thinking about majoring in Fashion Design at the University of South Carolina (my friend wants to go there, and it looks like a great school). I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but I actually wrote a (really crappy) book (if you can call it that) when I was 11-13 (laugh). I am working on something else now, for fun. I absolutely love writing, and I do hope to get published in the future!

My name is Jessica, I live in Vienna (Austria), and I love to read - especially fantasy. My favorite book is "The Ordinary Princess" but I have a long list of near-favorites. I really enjoyed Graceling, and am looking forward to the next books coming out.

Hi, I'm Jen. I'm a student at Portland State University and I read LOTS of children's and YA. (Fantasy is my favorite.) I also write YA stories and am working on my second novel. After reading and loving Graceling, I looked up Ms. Cashore online and was shocked and excited to find out she graduated from Simmon's College. This fall I'm applying to Simmon's to get my m.a. in children's lit. and my mfa in writing for children. Nice to meet you Kristin! (I just started a blog on children's and YA lit. for discussing what I'm reading. I'll be blogging about Graceling this week.)http://childrensandyoungadultlit.blogspot.com/

Hi Kristin, My name is Lenzi and I teach 8th Grade Reading in Texas. The only way I can recommend good books to my students is to read them, and I just finished GRACELING and found it to be a superb novel! Like Katniss in The Hunger Games, I love that Katsa is a strong, resourceful young woman who isn't just a bad-ass, but a character with many layers and heart. My students will LOVE your book and I can't wait to read more of your work in the future. Happy writing!

i go by "alaska" which comes from a velvet underground song with my actual name - and have been going by this long before john green published his book!

i live in new york, the city, upper manhattan - so high that people don't think manhattan actually exists up here. i love my neighborhood completely, though since i was born and raised in california, i'll someday end up back there.

i graduated with degrees in history and political science, then went back for a double (really triple) BA in psych, and will be applying to clinical psych phd programs in the fall. i am quite excited about this! i just hope i get in somewhere . . .

i had a goal to be published by the time i was 25 - i thought it would be in poetry, but instead i have an article in the international journal of MS care! go figure. ;)

one day i plan to write a series of children's picture books based on my cat, phinneas (yes, after a separate peace), who was rescued from the basement and thinks he is a dog. he plays fetch, walks on a leash, sits on command, and does lots of other very-not-cat-behaviors. also, i think he has an ancient strain of velociraptor in him sometimes. he can push our bathroom door open with his head, and has almost managed to turn door knobs open. he also has an internal clock that tells him EXACTLY when the clock in the living turns 8 pm, because that's his dinner time. he's very vocal, and we converse often.

i started to really read YA again about three years ago, when i was teaching seventh grade in the south bronx, and wanted to have more of a range to recommend to my students. i haven't looked back!

things i love: happy big dogs, the hudson river, sunsets, books about history/memory conflicts, thinking about finishing my history thesis and updating my poli sci thesis, rainstorms (which man, is all that june has been here!), reading on the subway, crazy cats, memoirs about people dealing with mental health issues, YA fiction, journaling, debating politics, reality tv, and tv on dvds.

things i don't love: political corruption, american isolationism in genocide/human rights issues post-WWII, fox news, humidity, the current state of health care in the US, mental health stigma, closed minds, and seeing dead things washed up on beaches.

do you know when "graceling" will be out in paperback? (i like to buy all my YA in softcover, since that's how i read them all as a child . . . plus it saves room, hah!)

Quick Links

"Then, at last, sitting on her stretcher-bed, she took from the very bottom of her pack an old peacock-blue scarf folded around a heavy, square book. She unwrapped it and opened it very carefully, as if guilty secrets might fall from between its pages like pressed flowers. This was Harry's secret. She was a writer."

-from The Tricksters, by Margaret Mahy

Writing is my secret. Every day I unwrap and open it as carefully as I can. Welcome to my blog about writing and life! Above you'll find quick links about me and my books, and below is more about me, ways to subscribe, and an archive of past posts. Click here to go home to my most recent posts.

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About the Author

Kristin Cashore wrote the New York Times bestsellers Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue, all of which have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Her next book, Jane, Unlimited, comes out in September 2017. Graceling is the winner of the 2009 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature and Fire is the winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. The books are world travelers, currently scheduled to be published in thirty-four languages.

Finally, a note: This blog is my only online presence. I am not on Facebook, Google+, or any other social media sites, and I use Twitter solely as an amalgamation feed for my blog. Sorry, but I do not read @-replies on Twitter!